On
Sunday, 2 October 2005
, two days before the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan, the online
Arabic daily, Al-Sharq al-Awsat, published an article with a very
eye-catching title. In the original, the title consisted of three words.
Translated into English, it required six words: “My Son’s Teacher was
an Irhabi,” i.e. a terrorist.

The writer is a Saudi lady who was
terribly shocked and disturbed by discovering that one of the men involved in a
terrorist attack on a government building in the capital had actually been her
son’s teacher. She was outraged, and wrote a brief article. I would like to
share it with the readers, and follow with some comments.

“Once, I wrote an article with the
above title for the daily newspaper “Al-Riyad.” Having gone
through a horrible experience, these words should be regarded as my clarion call
for all to hear. My blood almost froze on my face as I read the terrorist’s
name, and saw his photo.”

“Let me explain. In the aftermath of
the terrorist attack on the Ministry of the Interior building, several
newspapers published photos of those who had participated in the operation. My
son, having glanced at the newspaper, pointed to the face of one of the
terrorists and said in an agitated manner: Mother,this man was my
teacher!”

“Two months prior to the attack, this
same teacher stood just a short distance from my son’s desk and talked to him.
Actually, only one inch separated him from my son’s mind and heart. Like all
young students at the school, my son used to praise and love all his teachers.
His little mind tended to receive and accept spontaneously his teachers’
instruction. Unfortunately, not all teachers at the school were careful, or
observed a proper attitude vis-à-vis their young and sensitive students. Some
spouted out their ideological views. Their vision and outlook on life had been
formed by the myths they imbibed, as they sat and watched for hours one
television channel: “Al-Jazeera.” After all, we all know that
this television station broadcasts just one point of view, and quite often it is
in the service of Irhab.”

“I must add that I have become weary
of going several times to the school principal to remind him of the duty of
teachers to keep their personal opinions to themselves. They were not supposed
to share them with their young students, most of them being only ten years old!
Some teachers may admire Usama bin Laden for having forsaken the world and gone
to live in caves. But they should voice such thoughts among their friends as
they meet them at their favorite cafes. There should be no room for any such
propaganda at the school. Also, it is not the job of school teachers to issue fatwas
that forbid their students from viewing certain television channels.”

“Yesterday, my son shared with me an
incident that took place at his school. A teacher inquired from a student about
his brother who had recently graduated from secondary school. The boy proudly
informed him that his brother was very fortunate as he had received a government
scholarship to study in
America
. The teacher responded angrily: “
America
, may Allah guide him to any place but
America
!”

“I happen to know exactly where the
teacher would have wanted this student to go for his university education;
however, this is not the purpose for writing the column. My point is: how
are we to confront this Irhabi (terrorist) mentality, when we notice that all
our efforts to spread a spirit of tolerance and an acceptance of the ‘Akhar’
(the Other) is being thwarted in the classrooms?”

“Recently I learned that a book
advocating a positive and tolerant attitude toward the ‘Other’
was pulled out of circulation. It was scheduled to be distributed among our
teachers and educators! However, some voiced certain reservations about the
contents of the book. So the project was dropped. I wonder what those
reservations were! What was wrong with a book that advocated tolerance, and the
need for a proper approach in our dialogue with the ‘Akhar?’
Or are we supposed rather to tolerate extremists and radicals? Why do we seem to
be oblivious of the existence of ideological ticking bombs in our society?
Should we not be shocked to learn that some of our teachers were on the wanted
lists, and had actually participated in terrorist attacks? I am sure that most
of us were aware that several of the men who planned their suicidal attacks,
were not among the unemployed. Some were teachers in our schools; others have
even served as imams in our mosques, or worked in our security agencies. In
other words, these Irhabis were right there, all around us, in the
very heart of our society, and busy influencing the minds of our youth.”

Thus far the words of this distraught
mother. I have commented before that any translation from Arabic into a Western
language loses some of the full meaning of the original text. Actually, the
mother’s words were brimming with an intensity of feelings, and with powerful
allusions to a very disturbing phenomenon, not only in
Saudi Arabia
, but all over the Islamic world. She was pointing to a shocking disconnect with
reality that pervades the world of Islam today. Globalism is here to stay; our
world has become more interdependent than ever. While many Muslims are aware of
this fact, yet they persist to ignore it, and continue to hate and vilify the “Akhar.”

Only one week after reading this
article, I woke up to the news of a massive earthquake that hit
Pakistan
and some of the surrounding areas. Reports indicate that
Pakistan
has endured its worst natural catastrophe since its birth in 1947. President
Pervez Musharraf appealed for international aid. By
noon
, President Bush promised to help the stricken country. I mention this to
underline the obvious fact that tolerance and the acceptance of the ‘Other’
as a fellow-human being is absolutely necessary in our world today. But radical
Islamists never cease to hurl their insults at the Infidels; but how do they
explain the fact that when calamities strike Islamic lands, suddenly these same
“Infidels” rush to help. The despised “Others” never
reciprocate with insults or indifference. On the contrary, the common bonds of
humanity transcend all inherited prejudices and insults; and so we watch people
from all over the world, rush with help for the stricken Pakistanis.